Lateral Depiction of the Pericardiophrenic Artery (Sagittal Thoracic Section)

Description

Running vertically along the fibrous pericardium, the pericardiophrenic artery is traced in lateral profile within a sagittal thoracic section, accompanying the phrenic nerve as they descend toward the diaphragm. Its course parallels the anterior margin of the lung and pleura, lying anterior to the vertebral column and medial to the ribs and intercostal spaces, with the heart positioned anteroinferior to the great vessels. Superiorly, the vessel relates to the mediastinal vessels at the root of the neck and pericardial reflections, then continues inferiorly to the central tendon region of the diaphragm, adjacent to the dome of the liver on the right. Color convention separates red arterial flow from blue venous return in the same corridor. For teaching and operative planning, this sagittal-lateral cut clarifies why the pericardiophrenic artery is encountered during pericardial and diaphragmatic work: it runs on the pericardium, not within the myocardium, and it stays tethered to the phrenic nerve. Injury or cautery near the cardiophrenic angle can compromise pericardial and diaphragmatic blood supply and risks phrenic nerve palsy, a clinically visible problem when postoperative hemidiaphragm elevation appears on chest radiography. A small-caliber artery. A predictable landmark. Use this artwork in thoracic anatomy blocks, cardiothoracic surgery texts, and procedural guides covering pericardiocentesis windows, pericardial drain placement, or diaphragmatic plication where the phrenic nerve–pericardiophrenic bundle must be respected in a lateral approach. It also suits radiology teaching files that correlate cardiophrenic angle anatomy with CT or MR sagittal reconstructions. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.